On the 13th December Kirsan Ilyumzhinov continued his working visit to South Africa. In Pretoria he met with the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation Mr. Gert Oosthuizen, SASCOC (South Africa Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee) General Director Mrs. Patience Shikwambana and Mr. Vinesh Maharaj, Chief Financial Officer.

At the first meeting, it was noted that the Ministry of Sports and Recreation has included chess into their priority sport disciplines list, which will result in the increase of the state support for chess. Chess will also be included into the programme of the National School Spartakiade, which will be organized in October 2012.

The main issue of the discussions was a number of items in respect of the organization of the World Youth Chess Championship in Durban in 2014 as well as a possibility of organization of the first Chess Olympiad in 2016 on the African continent. The FIDE President has stressed that should South Africa win the bid for the latter, the World Cup 2015 will have to be also organized there. According to the South African Deputy Minister of Sports and Recreation, this proposal will be considered at the highest level, considering the support for chess from the President of the South Africa H.E. Zuma. The parties agreed to continue a preparatory stage in order to finalise all necessary paperwork to be considered by all concerned institutions.

At the second meeting, the FIDE President has spoken about FIDE and his personal active steps towards a positive decision regarding the inclusion of chess into Olympic family, the support expressed by the NOCs of many countries, who have already expressed their consent to this proposal and sent their letters to the IOC President. The representatives of the South Africa Olympic Committee, first of all, were interested in combed politics in FIDE and development of chess among various groups of handicapped persons. The meetings were also attended by Advocate Lyndon Bouah, Chief Director of Sport & recreation of Western Cape and Elise Steenkamp, FIDE IO, FIDE Arbiter.

FIDE President and the Deputy Minister of Sport and Recreation Mr Gert Oosthuizen

Meeting in the office of the South Africa Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee